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Woman, children displaced following Newton Township house fire

NEWTON TOWNSHIP - A woman and her children are displaced after their house caught fire overnight.

Around 10:01 p.m. Sunday, Newton Township Fire Department was called to 2622 Mt. Vernon Road for a reported house fire.

Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke showing and fire at the back, right corner of the home, according to Lt. Colton Pennell, who was the first on scene.

By the time an engine arrived on scene, Pennell said fire was coming through a sliding glass door into the home and through a window.

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The mother and her children were not home at the time of the fire, and a next-door neighbor saw the smoke and called 911. Pennell said no injuries were reported in the blaze.

According to Pennell, the woman said the area where the fire started was a workshop where she did arts and crafts. The woman said she was working on a lampshade, which she left on, that fell and got hot, causing the fire.

Pennell said a fire investigator determined the fire to be accidental.

The firefighter estimated the home to be a total loss due to smoke and water damage. Fire crews called in the Red Cross to assist the family.

In addition to Newton Township, fire crews from Newark, Granville Township, Newark Township, Utic, Homer and West Licking Fire District responded to the scene. Scene support from West Licking also responded.

Pennell said Ohio 13 was shut down in the area for about an hour as crews battled the fire.